Dec. 22, 2013

In response to Gov. Rick Snyder’s guest column “State of Michigan dedicated to jump-starting sputtering Detroit,” there is no dispute about his hard work — that is not the issue. There is also no issue that the Michigan Constitution of 1963 states in Section 24: “The accrued financial benefits of each pension plan and retirement system of the state and its political subdivisions shall be a contractual obligation thereof which shall not be diminished or impaired thereby.”

Snyder talked about the “hard work of the Detroit Police Department” and surely he doesn’t dispute that the City of Detroit retirees worked hard, too.

If the state constitution doesn’t mean anything for working men and women, or poor people, then it doesn’t mean anything for rich folks or companies, either. The debt he referenced is not the issue. We are talking about constitutionally protected pensions. Gov. Snyder was elected by the people of this great state to solve problems within the proscriptions imposed by our state constitution. Do the right thing. Uphold our constitution.

James R. Stearns

Commerce Township

What took so long to threaten so sue banks?

So the law firm hired by the emergency manager of Detroit is now threatening to sue Bank of America and UBS if they do not agree to renegotiate a better settlement for the disastrous interest-rate swaps agreement. The firm says it is doing “whatever is necessary to protect the city, its residents and its interests.” This leaves me to wonder why it took a judge’s nudging to get the emergency manager to do what he should have been doing all along. It appears that he has been more interested in protecting the interests of the banks

William Hickey

Detroit

Another lackluster session in Lansing

I’d grade the Michigan Legislature’s overall performance as no more than mediocre. The Republican majority is more concerned with partisanship, its social agenda and, for some, a fear of being “primary-ed” by the tea party.

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On the bright side, I did read that a bill was to be offered making our Legislature part-time. That sounds like a good idea.

Tom Pinta

Pinckney

You can't impose your morality on others

In a letter to the editor, a reader asked “why make me pay for others’ abortions?” The answer is simple: Insurance is insurance, and health care is health care. They are not à la carte programs.

Insurance policy-holders do not decide what the insurance company is going to cover for other policy-holders, and health care providers should be providing health care — not deciding on an individual basis the “morality” of certain coverage. A non-drinker may be vehemently opposed to health care treatment being provided for injuries suffered by a person while under the influence of alcohol, but you don’t get to impose your morality on health care decisions. Your morality may or may not be different from mine, but the concept of “society as a whole” removes individual moral decisions from the process. Family planning, including abortion, is health care, not anything else.

Diana Domin

Grosse Pointe Park

Don't forget to plow our roads, Detroit

While driving around the city last week, as a taxpayer living in Detroit, I am wondering how it is that we have enough money to spend on all of the lawyers and accountants and consultants and still don’t have enough money to salt and plow the major roads in the city! Eight Mile was plowed and salted, but 7 Mile Road looked like a disaster along with many other roadways! Is all of our cash going to outside interests?

John M Leidlein Jr.

Detroit

Get your removal priorities straight

Why are we suddenly prioritizing the removal of I-375? Have we finished tearing down all of the vacant and dangerous buildings that plague Detroit?